Upper West Side Brownstone

Nothing increases the value of a property like adding square footage. We take this a step further by maximizing the impact of our additions. For this Upper West Side brownstone, for example, we added two small extensions–one at the roof and one at the rear. But their rippled effect was huge.

First, each extension added a double-height space to the house, creating a spatial dynamism that’s rare in a brownstone. The double heights also left space for oversized windows, to flood the interior with precious daylight. This not only makes for a viable indoor vine trellis, but also allows for a sunny play space in the middle of the house.

What’s more, our extensions yielded a bumper crop of outdoor spaces. One deck is at the grandparents’ suite; another is off the daughter’s bedroom. A large deck at the rear rooftop is perfect for entertaining, while a small deck at the front roof boasts a hot tub. With so much vertical living, we also inserted a much-needed elevator for this multi-generational family.

Other features include a climbing wall in the cellar gym illuminated by a walkable skylight. Another light shaft brings daylight to the vanity in the primary bathroom. This bathroom also features a cypress ofuro tub and a laundry chute for sending linens to the laundry room two floors below.

The kitchen in this Upper West Side brownstone is a cook’s paradise, with a 60″ Wolf range, a vacuum sealer, a meat dry ager, and a Roomba charging station. Since the wall of kitchen cabinets includes drawers, doors, and in-plane sliding panels, we needed a single recessed pull that could serve multiple functions. So we invented one: a bronze and hickory pull that unifies the whole wall.